BANGLADESH: Perpetrators of grenade attack on Awami League rally must be brought to justice 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned by the attack on an Awami League rally that killed Bangladesh’s former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria, his nephew Shah Manjurul Huda and activists Siddique Ali, Abdur Rahim and Abul Hossain on 27 January 2005. There have been numerous such incidents in Bangladesh recently, and the government has been unable or unwilling to arrest and prosecute those responsible. Although a five-member committee has been established to investigate the January 27 attack, the AHRC is concerned that like previous such investigation committees, no concrete results will be found and no arrests conducted. This ineffective action on the part of the government leads to impunity, encouraging the perpetrators to further attacks and deterioration in the rule of law within the country.

The AHRC therefore urges you to promptly write to the Government of Bangladesh and demand that effective and in-depth inquiries be conducted into the January 27 attack, leading to conclusive arrests and prosecutions. Furthermore, all such attacks must be dealt with in the same manner, ending the climate of impunity surrounding the perpetrators of such violence and establishing the rule of law throughout Bangladesh.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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Case details:

Victims killed: Former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria, his nephew Shah Manjurul Huda and Awami League activists Siddique Ali, Abdur Rahim and Abul Hossain
Victims wounded: Seventy other Awami League activists
Place of attack: Boidder Bazar, Habiganj, Bangladesh
Date of attack: 27 January 2005, 7pm

At 7pm on 27 January 2005, two grenades were thrown at the stage of an Awami League (AL) rally, killing former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria, his nephew Shah Manjurul Huda, and Awami League activists Siddique Ali, Abdur Rahim and Abul Hossain. Seventy others were wounded, including District AL General Secretary Abu Jahid, who was rushed to the hospital together with Kibria.

Kibria had gone to Habiganj on 27 January 2005 on an organizational tour, accompanied by his elder brother Shah Shamsul Huda and nephew Shah Manjurul Huda. According to witnesses, the first grenade was thrown at the end of the rally held at the Boidder Bazar Primary School playground when Kibria was about to get into his car after speaking at the rally. The former chairman of Habiganj, Pourashava Shahid Chowdhury, stated that when AL leaders were coming down from the dais at the end of the rally, the first grenade was thrown at them, with the second one thrown when they ran for cover. Hit by splinters, the former finance minister and others fell to the ground. Shah Manjurul Huda, Siddique Ali and Abdur Rahim died on the spot. Kibria became unconscious sustaining injuries on different parts of his body with his two legs fatally wounded. He was first rushed to the Habigang Sadar Hospital where resident medical officer Dr Abdullah gave primary treatment to an unconscious Kibria. After consultation with party president Sheikh Hasina, local leaders decided to send him to Dhaka by an ambulance as they failed to obtain a helicopter. However, Kibria died en route and doctors at the Birdem Hospital in Dhaka declared him dead at about 12:30am, soon after he was brought to the hospital. Abul Hossain died at Birdem at about 1:00am.

The Government of Bangladesh has formed a five-member committee to investigate this attack; the committee has been asked to unearth the reasons behind the grenade attack, identify the culprits, and put forward recommendations to check the recurrence of such incidents. Headed by the deputy inspector general of police of the Sylhet range, AKM Mahfuzul Haq, the committee was asked to submit the report within two weeks.

Recently, there has been an increase in bomb explosions and grenade attacks, particularly targeted towards the leaders of opposition parties and other progressive individuals. While numerous investigative committees have been formed to look into these attacks and to arrest those responsible, to date the Government of Bangladesh has largely failed in bringing the perpetrators before the courts. In fact, in most instances the findings of the committees are never made public, nor is anyone arrested. It is of great concern to the AHRC that the impunity thus granted to the perpetrators of these attacks encourages their recurrence. The Government of Bangladesh must take decisive action to arrest and prosecute those responsible for these attacks and compensate the victims and their families.

Suggested action:

Please send a letter, fax or email to the authorities below, urging them to ensure that an efficient and in depth inquiry is held into this incident, leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, as well as the compensation of the victims and their families.

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